Shan Foster is Failing to Impress With Dallas's Summer League Squad

Sugar Shan can't find his stroke. The lithe guard/forward left Vanderbilt as possibly the school's most prolific long range shooter, and it seemed like he'd be able to carve out a niche in the NBA as a Kyle Korver/Eddie House style bomber, the kind of player that stretches out defenses and that opposing players can't leave open. At 6'6", Foster has the length and enough athleticism to play a specialist role in the pros - but he hasn't been able to display that specialty at the NBA level yet.

Foster's three-point shooting, the backbone of his game and the tool that covers for his deficiencies on the defensive end of the court, has failed to develop on the professional level. Through two Summer League games, the 24-year-old has been an afterthought on the court; the 2008 SEC Player of the Year has been stifled against a collection of mid-level prospects and former wash-outs to the tune of just four points per game:

This hampered production is a step backwards from Shan's 2009 Summer League campaign, where though he didn't light up the scoreboard, Foster scored efficiently - including shooting 60% from long range:

Of course, Foster still has time to turn things around, though as the sixth man behind talented young players like Rodrigue Beaubois, Dominique Jones, and J.R. Giddens it will be tough for a swingman like Shan to get the minutes he needs to find his stroke and heat up from outside. The Vandy grad is still waiting for his breakout game in the Vegas Summer League - and his time to impress Dallas's front office brass is winding down. It may take a herculean effort to turn the tides and earn a NBA contract, but if there's one thing that Commodore fans know about Shan Foster, it's to never count him out, especially when things look bleak.